KIEV, May 26 (RIA Novosti) – Ukrainian military aircraft have bombed the Donetsk airport in eastern Ukraine, representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic said Monday on Twitter.
“Attack aircraft were used. Military planes and helicopters are in the sky above Donetsk. Three helicopters and two planes are involved in air strikes on the airport of Donetsk,” the message reads.
Blasts were heard near the Donetsk airport, which had temporarily closed earlier in the day, the local Ostrov news website said.
“At the moment, about three blasts were heard. Helicopters are seen above the city and sounds of military planes are heard,” the website said.
The airport indefinitely halted all arriving and departing flights beginning at 8:00 a.m. Moscow time (4:00 a.m. GMT) after local self-defense forces demanded the pullout of Kiev’s troops from the facility.
Federalists earlier blocked a group of Ukrainian servicemen, asking them to leave the territory of the airport. When the troops refused to do so, the shootout started and the battle erupted, a spokesman for the self-defense forces said.
There have been no reports of casualties.
Federalists say there are 200 Ukrainian servicemen at the airport. An airport spokesman Dmitro Kosinov said the “airport will resume work after the armed people leave the terminal.”
Ukrainian troops are stationed on the airport’s premises.
The incident came after Sunday’s presidential vote in the country amid a large-scale military operation launched by the new Kiev authorities to crack down on protesters refusing to recognize the legitimacy of the government.
